Prior to forming The Midnight, Tyler Lyle and Tim McEwan were both established musicians. Lyle was an indie-folk singer-songwriter based in the state of Georgia and gained initial notability with several self-released titles, becoming regionally and nationally known. McEwan was a drummer and producer based in Denmark, later becoming a member of the Danish production group Deekay who has written and produced songs for many popular artists.
The pair met for the first time in 2012 at a songwriter’s workshop in North Hollywood organized by Katie Donovan, Lyle’s A&R representative at the time. Prior to meeting, McEwan had listened to some of Lyle’s previous work and liked Lyle’s folk sound. Despite differing musical backgrounds, they bonded over a mutual love of 80s rock and began to write songs together. After initially struggling to define their sound, McEwan suggested that they compose songs in the synthwave style. McEwan had prior exposure to the burgeoning genre and was inspired by the movie Drive. The first song they wrote together as a duo was WeMoveForward, which was included on their debut EP Days of Thunder.
STYLE AND WORKFLOW
For most of their career, The Midnight has created a strong and distinct synthwave sound in their music - Tim McEwan once described the band's early albums “as if Miami Vice had a baby with a John Hughes movie”. However, McEwan has continuously expressed a desire to evolve the synthwave genre and not be confined by it. Tyler Lyle has stated several times that the band's philosophy when composing is “combine, not confine”. Influences of genres such as lo-fi, soft rock, trance, and vaporwave can be heard on Monsters, and Lyle's musical background has brought influences of indie folk and Americana to the band's sound as well. Regarding the merging of their individual talents and styles, Lyle has said:
It’s rock and roll with synthesizers. Tim has a keen ear for production, and I can write songs that fit comfortably within the tradition of 20th century classic pop songwriting. Somewhere in the middle things get interesting.
McEwan employs various digital synths in his production, including Serum, Diva, TAL-U-NO-LX, Spire, and Roland Cloud's Jupiter 8 and Juno 106. In mid-2020, he mentioned that his favorite synth to use at the time was U-He's emulation of Prophet-5, known as Repro 5. McEwan has stated that he commonly begins with presets and then tweaks them to his liking. KONTAKT is used for sampling.
Both McEwan and Lyle use Logic Pro on macOS as their primary Digital Audio Workstation (DAW).Universal Audio interfaces are used to capture their sounds, which are then processed using UAD plugins. Using the same utilities makes it easier for them to share session files as a significant amount of their work is done remotely, due to living in different areas of the US. However, they will usually get together in the same room a few times during a release's production and will often write and record together while on tour. A release's sound and overall direction are generally created by the two bouncing ideas off each other - McEwan will send Lyle a rough track or beat, which Lyle will then think of lyrics and a title that would go good with the beat, after which McEwan will further build and produce the track. McEwan has stated that the production of a typical The Midnight album takes around three to six months, “from the early gestating part to finish”.
Production and drums are handled by McEwan, with Lyle providing guitar, lyrics, and vocals. Lyle has stated that he writes on a daily basis, and many lyrics come from a large number of fragments he keeps stored in Evernote. Most of the remaining instrumentation is digital, but on occasion songs (including most with saxophone and guitar solos) will at first have digital instruments that are then outsourced to other musicians to play live on the track. Thomas Edinger has been the primary saxophone player for The Midnight's releases, and McEwan's brother Oliver has frequently played bass for the band as well.
For live performances, various setups have been used by the band. Lyle stated that the Spring 2019 tour utilized an Ableton rig, with McEwan using an SPD SX sampling pad and MIDI controller. Lyle ran his guitars through a Kemper profiling amp, and he also used an OP1 for certain synth moments and pads.
The Comeback Kid
The Midnight Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Felt the wind blow
Like I was a screen door
In a thunderstorm
Yeah I've been down
I've been laid out
But you always were
Waiting all day
Waiting all day
Just for my say
For a bell to ring
For the first sting
Yeah I been blue
That ain't nothing new
It's you my friend
You're why I get up again
I've make mistakes
I've been hard hit
I say so what
So what if I did
I'm the clear eyed
I'm the
Comeback
The kid
Start it over
Start it over again
I'm the clear eyed
I'm the comeback kid
It's been a rough year
Been some tough tears
I've lost so fast
All that I had
But when it's time to
I will fight for you
Cause you know you are are
Why I've come so far
I've make mistakes
I've been hard hit
I say so what
So what if I did
I'm the clear eyed
I'm the
Comeback
The kid
Start it over
Start it over again
I'm the clear eyed
I'm the comeback kid
The Midnight's song "The Comeback Kid" is a powerful anthem about resilience, perseverance, and the unwavering drive to keep going no matter what. The singer acknowledges that he has been through some hard times and experienced a lot of pain and sadness, yet he keeps on fighting and pushing forward. He describes feeling like a screen door in a thunderstorm – vulnerable and exposed – but he never gives up. He's waiting for his chance to come back, to get up again and start over, and he knows that his determination and the support of his friend will help him do just that.
The chorus of the song is particularly compelling, with its repetition of the phrase "I'm the clear-eyed, I'm the comeback kid," driving home the point that no matter how low he may feel or how hard he may be hit, he is always ready to come back stronger than ever. The lyrics also nod to the fact that making mistakes and experiencing setbacks is part of the journey, and that it's okay to stumble and fall as long as you get back up again.
Overall, the message of "The Comeback Kid" is one of resilience, determination, and unwavering strength in the face of adversity. It's a reminder that no matter how tough things may get, there's always a chance to start over and come back stronger.
Line by Line Meaning
I been so low
I have felt very depressed and hopeless
Felt the wind blow
I have experienced the harshness and unpredictability of life
Like I was a screen door
I felt vulnerable and exposed during difficult times
In a thunderstorm
When life was already challenging, I faced additional struggles
Yeah I've been down
I have experienced sadness and despair
I've been laid out
I have been knocked down and defeated
But you always were
You were consistently there for me
What I came here for
The reason I sought out your support and companionship
Waiting all day
I have been patiently anticipating something important
Just for my say
For my chance to speak up and be heard
For a bell to ring
A metaphor for a sign that it's time for me to take action
For the first sting
The initial challenge or setback that will set things into motion
Yeah I been blue
I have been sad and melancholy
That ain't nothing new
It's something I have experienced before and am familiar with
It's you my friend
Your friendship and support mean a lot to me
You're why I get up again
You motivate me to keep going and not give up
I've make mistakes
I have done things that I regret
I've been hard hit
I have experienced significant challenges and setbacks
I say so what
I have learned to accept my mistakes and move past them
So what if I did
It's not worth dwelling on my past mistakes
I'm the clear eyed
I have a clear and focused perspective
I'm the comeback
I have the resilience and determination to bounce back from difficulties
The kid
A metaphor for my youthful energy and optimism
Start it over
I am ready to begin again
Start it over again
I am determined to keep moving despite setbacks
It's been a rough year
The past year has been particularly challenging
Been some tough tears
I have shed tears due to the difficulties I have faced
I've lost so fast
I have experienced loss or change unexpectedly
All that I had
All the things that were important to me
But when it's time to
When the opportunity presents itself
I will fight for you
I will do everything in my power to support and defend you
Cause you know you are are
Because you are aware of your own importance and value
Why I've come so far
You have been a driving force behind my personal growth and achievements
I'm the clear eyed
I have a clear and focused perspective
I'm the comeback kid
I have the resilience and determination to succeed despite challenges
Contributed by Kayla I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@cesarriveraii550
I survived a very rough childhood. I nearly committed suicide in college. I self-harmed in my teens. I’ve lived through countless abusive relationships and my most recent ex was a narcissist. I developed PTSD as a result of that relationship. I ended it three years ago when I finally decided enough was enough.
Ever since then, I started delving deep into my trauma and working on healing. I still battle with flashbacks and nightmares, even from traumatic childhood memories. However, as a result of my hard work from finding out who I really am and working on my mindset, my emotional strength, my confidence, finding out my core values and committing to bodybuilding, I can finally say for the first time in my life that I really and honestly love myself and I love living. It’s a wonderful feeling, and it’s so freeing.
I lost my maternal grandfather last year before the pandemic due to lung cancer, when the summer of the previous year he seemed fine. I was utterly devastated. I had my dog for 13 years and one day back in March he just ran away when I wasn’t home and I never saw him again. I cried so hard when I learned he got hit by a car and was gone, just like that. It had been months since I heard this song, and I woke up with it in my head after dreaming about both my dog and my grandpa. I choked up when the first chorus hit my ears.
To anyone who’s going through some serious shit right now, just hang in there. You’ve got a success story in the making. The world is better with you in it, and you’d be doing yourself a major disservice if you were to follow through with any plans of ending your own life. You matter and you have so much more to offer the world than what anyone or anything has you convinced you are worth.
We’re all gonna make it. We’re the Comeback Kids.
@silverwinterskies
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. yeah
I been so low
Felt the wind blow
Like I was a screen door
In a thunderstorm
Yeah I've been down
You've been laid out
But you always were
What I came here for...
Waiting all day
Just for our sake
For a bell to ring
For the first sting
Yeah I been blue
That ain’t nothing new
It’s you my friend
You’re why I get up again...
I’ve made mistakes
And I’ve been hard hit
I say so what
So what if I did
I’m the clear eyed
I’m the
Comeback kid
It’s been a rough year
Been some tough tears
I’ve lost so fast
All that I had
But when it’s time to
I'll fight for you
Cause you know you are
Why I've come so far...
I’ve make mistakes
I’ve been hard hit
I say so what
So what if I did
I’m the clear eyed
I’m the
Comeback kid
Start it over
Start it over again
I'm the clear eyed
I'm the
Comeback kid
Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!
Solo
I've made mistakes
And I've been hard hit
I say so what
So what if I did
I'm the clear eyed
I'm the
Comeback kid
Start it over
Start it over again
I'm the cleareyed
I'm the
Comeback kid !!!!!
Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!
@82nairabhishek82
The life THE MIDNIGHT there music always touch the soul each song is one or other aspect of our life we passed through...
've been so low
Felt the wind blow
Like I was a screen door
In a thunderstorm
Yeah, I've been down
I've been laid out
But you always were
What I came here for
Waiting all day
Just for my say
For a bell to ring
For the first sting
Yeah, I been blue
That ain't nothing new
It's you my friend
You're why I get up again
I've make mistakes
And I've been hard hit
I say so what
So what if I did
I'm the clear eyed
I'm the comeback kid
It's been a rough year
Been some tough tears
I've lost so fast
All that I had
But when it's time to
I'll fight for you
'Cause you know you are
Why I've come so far
I've make mistakes
And I've been hard hit
I say so what
So what if I did
I'm the clear eyed
I'm the comeback kid
Start it over
Start it over again
I'm the clear eyed
I'm the comeback kid
I've make mistakes
And I've been hard hit
I say so what
So what if I did
I'm the clear eyed
I'm the comeback kid
Start it over
Start it over again
I'm the clear eyed
I'm the comeback kid
@MiloZabal
i been so low
felt the wind blow
like i was a screen door
in a thunderstorm
yeah i've been down
i've been laid out
but you always were
what I came here for
waiting all day
waiting all day
just for my say
for a bell to ring
for the first sting
Yeah I been blue
that ain’t nothing new
it’s you my friend
you’re why I get up again
I’ve make mistakes
I’ve been hard hit
I say so what
so what if I did
I’m the clear eyed
I’m the
comeback kid
start it over
start it over again
I'm the clear eyed
I'm the comeback kid
it’s been a rough year
been some tough tears
I’ve lost so fast
all that I had
but when it’s time to
i will fight for you
cause you know you are are
why i’ve come so far
I’ve make mistakes
I’ve been hard hit
I say so what
so what if I did
I’m the clear eyed
I’m the
comeback kid
start it over
start it over again
I'm the clear eyed
I'm the comeback kid
@Wildsmock
Cut through the skin! Reaches to the heart deep! Emotion in the first verse is so intense!
Here is the lyrics.
i been so low
felt the wind blow
like i was a screen door
in a thunderstorm
yeah I've been down
I've been laid out
but you always were
what I came here for
waiting all day
waiting all day
just for my say
for a bell to ring
for the first sting
Yeah I been blue
that ain’t nothing new
it’s you my friend
you’re why I get up again
I’ve make mistakes
I’ve been hard hit
I say so what
so what if I did
I’m the clear eyed
I’m the
comeback kid
start it over
start it over again
I'm the clear eyed
I'm the comeback kid
it’s been a rough year
been some tough tears
I’ve lost so fast
all that I had
but when it’s time to
i will fight for you
cause you know you are are
why I've come so far
I’ve make mistakes
I’ve been hard hit
I say so what
so what if I did
I’m the clear eyed
I’m the
comeback kid
start it over
start it over again
I'm the clear eyed
I'm the comeback kid
@charliewilliams2281
I turned my life around at 44 and started to attend college. Now at 49, I'm starting law school. My wife has been my rock, as she helped me find myself in this crazy world. This song is a testament for those who have the courage to chase their dream.
@kriscowley3241
💙
@stelangs
inspirational
@BillBlazejowski
And you my friend are a testament to the fact that it's never too late.
From a 25 year old with no idea idea where to go from here.
@HamberlynnReid
Groovy man! That’s the kinda positivity we need right now!
@kriscowley3241
@@BillBlazejowski follow your dreams if you dare, friend - for they know the way.......
@mr.maserati9826
I used to be a drug addict and every time I listen to this song I cry. I’m over 4 years clean now.
@asdadassdassdassdsds
Congrats, all the best for the future. Stay safe.
@DevendraKumar-ou2pv
Happy for you.
@heaven4588
Congrats ❤